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Xavier Musketeers
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Musketeers are currently coached by Chris Mack, in his second season after being both an assistant coach and former player at Xavier. Over the past 15 years, Xavier has continued to separate itself as one of the country’s premier college basketball programs. Xavier made its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011 and its tenth in the last 11 years. Xavier joins Michigan State and Duke as the only two programs who have been to three consecutive NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteens in tournament history. Xavier made its 24th postseason appearance in the last 28 years, including its 20th NCAA Tournament berth during that time. XU only made the NCAA Tournament field one time (1961) before the 1982-83 season. Xavier, with a school record 30-7 for the 2007-08 season and 27-8 for the 2008-09 season, has recorded five straight 20-win seasons and 13 in the last 14 years. XU has won 25 games or more each of the last four years. Xavier has won four Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships in its first 15 seasons in the A-10 (2006, 2004,2002 and 1998). Xavier has won or shared 15 regular season conference championships over the last 28 years(eight A-10 and seven MCC), while winning 10 conference tournament championships (four A-10 and six MCC). Xavier is the only non-BCS school to be listed among the top 20 most valuable college basketball programs in the US . History The first Xavier Basketball game on record was February 20, 1920 at the Fenwick Club in Cincinnati, OH. Coached by Joe Meyer, the Musketeers compiled a 94-52 record during Meyer's 13 year run as head coach from 1920 to 1933. The Musketeer's success continued under second head coach Clem Crowe. During Crowe's 10 years as Xavier head coach, Xavier compiled a record of 96-78. Crowe's 96 wins as a head coach rank fourth all-time among Xavier head coaches''2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide''. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 196.. Following the 1942-43 season, play was suspended for the following two seasons because of World War 2. In 1945 the program resumed under the leadership of head coach Ed Burns. In his one season as head coach, Burns compiled a record of 3-16. In 1946, Burns was replaced by Lew Hirt. Under Hirt, he Musketeers first post season appearance was in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) during the 1948 NAIA National Basketball Tournament, the national tournament for small colleges. Xavier finished in 4th place, losing to Hamline University in the National 3rd Place Game, 58–59. 1948 was the only year Xavier would appear in the NAIA Tournament 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 183.. In 1951, Hirt was replaced as head coach by Ned Wulk. Wulk would guide the Musketeers to National Invitational Tournament appearances in 1956 and 1957. The 1956 appearance marked Xaveir's first NIT win, a 84-80 victory over Saint Louis University 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 183.. After a loss to Bradley in the 1957 NIT, Hirt was replaced as head coach by Jim McCafferty. McCafferty lead the Musketeers back to a third straight NIT. With wins over Niagara, Bradley, Saint Bonaventure and Dayton, Xavier captured the NIT. This was the first post season championship won by any Ohio Division I school. In 1961, McCafferty led Xavier to their first appearance in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. On March 14, 1961 Xavier fell to Morhead at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville, KY. McCafferty was replaced as head coach in 1963. He would be followed by Don Ruberg (1963–67), George Krajack (1967–71), Dick Campbell (1971–73) and Tay Baker (1973–79). In 1979, Xavier was one of the charter members of the Midwestern City Conference (nicknamed the MCC or Midwestern City 6) which initially included members Butler University, University of Evansville, Loyola University (Chicago), Oklahoma City University, Oral Roberts University and Xavier. 1979 also marked the hiring of head coach Bob Staak. Staak would compile a 88-86 record during his 6 seasons as head coach, including a return to both the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Pete Gillen Era 1985 once again marked considerable change for the program. In addition to the hiring of head coach Pete Gillen, the Midwestern City Conference altered its name slightly to the Midwestern Collegiate Conference adding more teams including University of Detroit Mercy, Notre Dame (excluding men's basketball and football), Saint Louis University, Marquette University and The University of Dayton. The MCC is the predecessor to the present-day Horizon League. Xavier was a member of the MCC from 1979–1995 and won eight regular season and six conference tournament championships. From 1985 to 1994 Gillen would compile a 202-75 record, including the program's first 5 wins in the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 6 of Gillen's 9 years at the helm. In 1990, Xavier beat Kansas State and Georgetown to advance to the program's first Sweet Sixteen. Skip Prosser Era Skip Prosser was hired in the spring of 1994 to replace departed head coach Pete Gillen. In his 7 seasons as head coach, Prosser compiled a 148-65 record with 4 NCAA Tournament appearances. Prosser’s 148 wins are second all-time at Xavier behind only Pete Gillen. During his 7 seasons at Xavier, Prosser continued to build on the momentum Gillen had created. Early in his tenure, Prosser added recruits Gary Lumpkin, Darnell Williams, Lenny Brown and James Posey. These four players provided the core of Prosser’s success during his time at Xavier. After missing the NCAA Tournament in both 1999 and 2000, Xavier returned to the Tournament in 2001. Following a loss to Notre Dame in the Tournament’s First Round, Prosser accepted the position of head coach at Wake Forest. Thad Matta Era Thad Matta left alma-mater Butler University to replace Skip Prosser as Xavier’s head coach. Hired with only one year of head coaching experience, Matta inherited a talented core of players in David West, Lionel Chamlers, and Romain Sato. During his three years at the helm, Matta compiled a record of 78-23, with 3 straight NCAA Tournament Appearances and Xavier’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Matta won two Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championships in his first two years behind the play of National Player of the Year David West . Following Matta’s second year, West would be drafted in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Hornets. With West’s departure, seniors Lionel Chalmers, Romain Sato and Anthony Myles became the team’s cornerstone for the 2003-2004 season. After a 10-9 start, Xavier would close the season by winning 16 of its last 18 games. “The Run” as it became known, left Xavier 3 points shy of making the program’s first NCAA Final Four appearance. Sean Miller Era The summer following Xavier’s first Elite Eight appearance, Thad Matta was offered and accepted the position of head men’s basketball coach at Ohio State. Xavier Athletic Director Dawn Rogers quickly promoted Xavier Associate Head Coach Sean Miller. . From 2004 to 2009, Miller compiled a record of 120-47. Advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 4 of his 5 seasons as head coach, Miller led the Musketeers to another Elite Eight appearance in 2008 and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2009. During Miller’s tenure as Head Coach, Xavier continued to shed the “mid-major” label and separate itself as one of the country’s premier college basketball programs . Miller’s NCAA Tournament success, aggressive non-conference scheduling and national recruiting allowed Xavier to be recognized with the like of Memphis and Gonzaga as one of the premiere “Non-BCS” basketball programs . After turning away interest from many programs, Sean Miller left Xavier to become the head basketball coach at Arizona. Chris Mack Era On April 15, 2009, Xavier Athletic Director named Xavier Assistant Coach Chris Mack as the 17th Head Basketball Coach in the program’s history . A Cincinnati native and Xavier University graduate, Mack compiled a record of 26-9 in his first year as head coach. Behind the play of 2010 NBA Draft pick Jordan Crawford, Xavier advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen for a third straight season. Chris Mack, the 2009-10 Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year , is the first Xavier head coach to lead the Musketeers to the NCAA Sweet 16 in his first season at the helm. With a 14-2 record in Atlantic 10 play, Xavier also won a share of their fourth straight conference championship. Year-by-Year Breakdown Since 1982 :"*"Indicates won conference tournament championship. :Chart Data''2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide''. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 194.. Home Court Cintas Center Xavier plays its home games at the Cintas Center, a 10,250 seat multi-purpose arena that opened in 2000. The Cintas Center is the team's fifth home site. Xavier has compiled a 135-17 (.888) record for its first 10 seasons in its on-campus home 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 144.. Xavier enjoyed a 15-0 mark at Cintas Center last season, its first perfect record for a season at Cintas Center. Xavier is 70-10 (.875) against Atlantic 10 teams and 65-7 (.902) against nonconference teams since Cintas Center opened for the 2000-01 season. Xavier has won its last 34 Atlantic 10 Conference games at Cintas Center, including perfect 8-0 marks each of the last four seasons 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 144.. Xavier has averaged 10,029 fans for its 152 games at Cintas Center, while selling out 90 games, including seven in the 2009-2010 season. :Chart Data''2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide''. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 144.. Cincinnati Gardens The Xavier Musketeers played their final season at Cincinnati Gardens in 1999-2000. Located 2 miles from the Xavier Campus, the Gardens was the home court for the Xavier Musketeers since 1983-84 season. The Xavier men’s team played all of its regular season games off campus at the Cincinnati Gardens for 17 years, beginning with the 1983-84 season and ending with an NIT game against Marquette in the 1999-2000 season. The only exception was a game against Florida International that was played at Schmidt Fieldhouse on January 9, 1988 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 146.. Xavier compiled an impressive 215-25 (.896) record after moving to the Gardens in the 1983-84 season, including 14-1 in its final season. Schmidt Fieldhouse Prior to moving to the Cincinnati Gardens in the 1983-84 season, Xavier called Schmidt Fieldhouse home. Located on the west side of the Xavier Campus, Xavier compiled an impressive 326-129 (.716) record at the Fieldhouse 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 144.. Until opening Cintas Center, the men’s basketball team had only played one regular season game on campus since early in the 1983-84 season. Xavier scored a school-record point total in a 125-84 win over Florida International on Saturday, January 9, 1988. Other Home Courts Riverfront Coliseum and the Fenwick Club. NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament Tradition The Musketeers have appeared in 21 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 19-21.NCAA Basketball Tournament History: Xavier Musketeers - ESPN retrieved 2010-Nov-22. NCAA Tournament Seeding history The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition. Elite Eights Sweet Sixteens Players Musketeers in the NBA Current Xavier players in the NBA: *Derrick Brown *James Posey *David West *Jordan Crawford Xavier Players in the NBA Draft All-Time: :Chart Data''2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide''. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 154.. All-Americans *'Lenny Brown' :1996-97: Basketball Weekly Honorable Mention :1998-99: John R. Wooden Finalist *'Jordan Crawford' :2009-10: Sporting News Third Team *'Jamie Gladden' :1992-93: Associated Press Honorable Mention :1989-90:Basketball Times Freshman Fifth Team *'Brian Grant' :1990-91: Basketball Times Freshman Seventh Team :1993-94: John R. Wooden Finalist Associated Press Honorable Mention *'Anthony Hicks' :1982-83: Sporting News Honorable Mention, Associated Press Honorable Mention *'Tyrone Hill' :1988-89: Associated Press Honorable Mention :1989-90: Basketball Times Third Team, Associated Press Honorable Mention *'T.J. Johnson' :1994-95 Basketball Weekly Freshman Honorable Mention *'Byron Larkin' :1984-85: Basketball Weekly All-Freshman Second Team, Basketball Times All-Freshman Team :1985-86: Associated Press Honorable Mention :1986-87: Sporting News Honorable Mention :1987-88: United Press International Second Team, Scripps Howard Second Team, Associated Press Third Team *'Gary Massa' :1977-78: Basketball Weekly All-Freshman Team *'James Posey' :1998-99: College Hoops Insider “Top 15”, John R. Wooden Finalist *'Bob Quick' :1967-68: Associated Press Honorable Mention *'Romain Sato' :2003-04: Associated Press Honorable Mention *'Hank Stein' :1957-58: Converse Second Team :1958-59: United Press International Third Team *'Steve Thomas' :1963-64: Basketball News First Team, Helms Foundation First Team, AP, United Press International and Sporting News Honorable Mention *'Brian Thornton' :2005-06: ESPN the Magazine, COSIDA All American *'David West' :2000-01: Associated Press Honorable Mention :2001-02: Associated Press Second Team, United States Basketball Writers Association Second Team, Basketball Times Second Team, FOXSports.com Second Team, National Association of Basketball Coaches Third Team, Sporting News Third Team, Basketball America Third Team, Dick Vitale’s “Rolls Royce Super Five”, collegeinsider.com All-American, John R. Wooden Finalist :2002-03: Associated Press First Team & AP National Player of the Year, United States Basketball Writers Association First Team & USBWA National Player of the Year, Basketball Times First Team & BT National Player of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches First Team, John R. Wooden First Team, ESPN.com First Team, Sporting News First Team, Dick Vitale’s “Rolls Royce Super Five”, collegeinsider.com All-American & collegeinsider.com National MVP, NABC/Pete Newell Big Man of the Year. Retired Jerseys Former university President Fr. James Hoff has also had a "jersey" retired in memory of all that he contributed to the school and basketball program. This was unveiled before a 2004 meeting with Creighton, where Hoff was vice president of university relations and President of the Creighton Foundation. Fr. Hoff died from cancer in 2004. Coaching History :Chart Data''2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide''. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 144.. Basketball and Academics NCAA Academic Progress Rate In May 2010, the NCAA honored a school-record tying eight Xavier University athletic programs with Public Recognition Awards for academic excellence . The award is given to the top-ten percent of teams in each sport based on the NCAA Academic Progress Rate. The APR is a term-by-term progress for every student-athlete in Division I athletics. Out of the 65 teams to make the 2010 NCAA Tournament Xavier had the 11th highest Academic Progress Rate . Graduation Since 1986, Xavier has graduated every men’s basketball player that has exhausted his eligibility . Sister Rose Ann Fleming During the 2010 NCAA Tournament Xavier’s Academic Advisor Sister Rose Ann Fleming garnered considerable national attention for the role she has played in the program’s academic success. Fleming was featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and on both ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC Nightly News. Fleming has over 40 years of experience as an educator. She was president of Cincinnati's Summit Country Day School from 1975–76 and president of Trinity College in Washington D.C. from 1976-82 . In addition to the national recognition she received during the 2010 NCAA Tournament she has also been featured in Readers Digest, Women's Day, was voted one of the Cincinnati Enquirer's Women of the Year, and was the subject of a promotional spot on The Family Channel . Program Highlights Success Overseas 10 formers Xavier players are currently playing professionally overseas. Romain Sato, 2010 Italian League MVP, won two straight Italian League Championships in 2009 and 2010. Sato signed with Panathinaikos in Athens, Greece, for the 2010-11 season 2010 Xavier Basketball Media Guide. Xavier Athletic Department, 2010, p. 42.. Rivalries Crosstown Shootout Xavier's main rival is the University of Cincinnati. The two schools play annually in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Xavier's record in the Shootout is 30-47. Xavier has won 11 of the last 15 crosstown shootouts. Other Rivals Xavier and Dayton play for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy, named for former coaches at the respective universities. As of January 15, 2011 Dayton has not beaten Xavier on their home floor in 30 years. 1 Starting with the 2009-2010 season, Xavier began a ten year alternating home court game with Wake Forest, known as the Skip Prosser Classic, who coached at both schools.http://cincinnati.com/blogs/xavier/2010/01/01/skip-prosser-classic/ References Category:NCAA Division I schools Category:Atlantic Ten Conference members Category:Schools in Ohio